Original subtitles

In all my time, there's one thing I've learned to be true.

If you want to serve the galaxy...

make your bed.

Here's another.

Get to class on time.

Doesn't seem like much,

just tiny acts of service to your fellow cadets.

A single stitch,

then another and another,

until you've woven something greater than you ever imagined.

A tapestry.

The tapestry that is Starfleet, that is history.

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for.

Mutageocillus arniopolus.

Self-replicating mucus.

A jar of goo.

Stand up.

I heard we get Ferengal horned tapeworms next semester.

Please never stand next to me again.

Each of you will care for a single specimen for five days.

Easy, right?

Wrong.

Mucus is romantic. It likes to bond.

If you get even a tiny amount on your skin,

it will replicate...

...until you're covered head to toe,

and you will have to move in together

and spend holidays with its parents.

And we will have to help you break up

by freezing it with a neutralizing agent.

That gets you a C.

A C? How do we fail?

If it kills you.

Welcome to Xenobiology.

When the Burn hit,

the Federation had to leave Earth.

Starfleet Academy was abandoned.

Our tapestry, our history, irretrievably torn.

Say what you will about this present time,

but it has one advantage over every other,

it's ours.

Comparative Xenomythology

was dropped from the curriculum 100 years ago,

when Starfleet's emphasis shifted from understanding those

with whom we share a universe,

to defending ourselves against them.

Sir, is there a creation myth

about a wise-ass space rat who put a state-of-the-art starship

in danger just 'cause he needed to call his mommy?

Or one about an overcompensating fish boy

who's sad and lonely 'cause he has a teeny tiny fish di...

Cadets, many cultures expel their males

into the wild at your stage of hormonal development

to mature on their own

or die.

We are not one of them. Currently.

You are the first officer corps class

to return to this campus in over a hundred years.

One we share with our venerable neighbors at the War College.

An institution that's turned out the officers

that kept Starfleet strong during the Burn.

We thank them for their continued service

and look forward to working together.

If you thought combat training was only for the War College,

think again. Sound off!

Duty! Honor! Service!

Louder!

Duty! Honor! Service!

Pitiful.

Tactical Engagement is not about self-defense,

though you will learn self-defense.

It's not about weapons.

No. This class...

is about me!

My father taught me that victory is life.

My mother, that today is a good day to die.

One day, you'll all stare death in the face

as she stares back. Yes!

Death has eyes!

And none of my cadets

will confront her like gutless cowards.

I will rip out my own stomach

and choke on it before even one of you lets fear win the day.

Do you hear me?

You will not live in fear!

I can always spot the runner.

Democracy doesn't live in a place.

It lives in continuous action.

So, go out and seek, explore, innovate.

Boldly go where no one has gone before.

It is my great honor

to welcome you all back to Starfleet Academy.

Specialist Krebs to Science Lab 7.

I'm telling you, I nailed it.

I just wish that I had your confidence.

- It's all in the walk, buddy. - I guess.

But, Caleb, if you stayed in Torothan prison,

they would've chopped your hands into little stumpy stumps.

Yeah, but there's toilet wine,

and I wouldn't be forced to read

the Military Strategies of Klingon General...

Ajergh K'Tamushti.

No offense, Jay-Den, he's a little dry.

We got our room assignments.

- Never had a room. - We share them.

Like, with others? That's the definition of...

Roommates.

- ...fascism. - No.

Also, with a roommate, how does anyone...

- Hook up? - You get me.

Try not to antagonize your new roommate

for at least ten minutes.

- See you in class. - Bye.

See you in Stellar Cartography. I'll save you a seat.

So, I... never had the chance to thank you

for helping me get rid of all those killer space pirates.

Got to give it to you. Sort of brave.

Right? Heroically saving everyone.

After dropping us in mortal peril.

Wonder if I'll live till midterms.

This is me.

Me, too.

Wait, are we...

Roomies?

No.

See you.

Also, tip:

Don't hook up with anyone for, like, the first six months.

That's how you find out who's a total psycho.

Bye-bye.

Sage advice.

- Oh, hell no! - Oh, you've got to be kidding me.

- Guards. Guards! This is a no. - No, absolutely not. No way.

- No way. - No in perpetuity!

- No! - Hate you!

The bio-labs are almost there,

but whatever supplier we're using

for our samples of xeno-mucosa has no imagination. None.

The arniopolus strain is hearty, I'll concede,

but just so vanilla.

It might as well be pudding.

-Okay. - Now, the kemagora strain

I requested has vigor, fire.

-Wow. - Those kids can learn a lot

- from mucus like that. - Mm.

Do you need to answer those?

Oh, uh, the-the Federation is getting ready

to rebuild its new seat of government.

- Oh. Namibia's vying for it. - Yes.

- Singapore. - What about Paris?

Where it's always been. It's in the mix.

- Do you have the requisition? - Uh-huh.

Thank you, Chancellor. Vanilla mucus is not my jam.

Doctor, I would do almost anything

to end this conversation.

- Your wish is my command, Chancellor. - Thank you so much.

- For now. Have a delightful day. -Okay, bye.

Two more things. The Betazoid delegation will arrive shortly.

We sent a fleet of Federation shuttles

- as a gesture of goodwill. - Mm.

The Special Assembly of the Diplomatic Council

will convene, and we're hosting a banquet

- in their honor tomorrow night. - Hello.

- Carl. Stanley. - Hi.

- Hello. - Larinda.

You knew the Betazoids when they were part of the Federation.

What are the chances they'll rejoin?

Every loss hurt after the Burn, but losing the Betazoids

really tipped the scales.

So, I'm just grateful they're showing up.

- Indeed. - What was the second thing?

Do you have a cologne dependency?

They regulate everything else, why can't they regulate that?

You hoard under your bed like an actual rat.

- And are you ever gonna make your bed? -Why would I?

Seriously, it's like rooming with a farm animal.

By the way, who has a banana allergy?

- Is that even a thing? - Yes, dick,

it is a thing!

Cadets?

Where are you right now?

It's not a trick question.

In your office.

Huh?

We're cadets of Starfleet Academy serving aboard

the Starship Athena, Chancellor.

Correct. If you forget that again,

I'll jettison the both of you out the airlock.

Mir, stand at attention or leave.

What do you want?

We can't room in the same...

- ...room. - Why?

It's an intensely personal medical issue.

-Really? -Yeah.

Severe allergies to him yelling,

"Iced it!" every time he shoots a balled-up sock

- into his drawer. - Not my fault you grew up without socks.

Or aim. Or balls.

Good news, guys, you do have something in common,

you're both funny. Aren't they funny?

Is this a multiple choice?

Request denied. You, out. You, stay.

The logs say you hacked the exits on...

Three separate occasions in the last 12 hours.

You told me to find hobbies.

You have too much spare time, Cadet?

You need more menial labor?

Nope.

Nope... Chancellor?

You chose this place, Mir.

You made me a promise, Chancellor.

We'll find your mother.

- If she's still alive. -And when we do,

I'll do everything I can to make the Federation see

that your mother's sentence was extreme,

even in a harsher time,

but there doesn't seem to be a Goja V

in any Starfleet database.

No planets, ships, moons. Zero.

It doesn't seem to exist.

So what?

Someone's not in the database,

they're not worth the effort?

Even if they "make their bed"?

The effort is what Starfleet is.

And somewhere, you know that,

or you would've already busted out of here

instead of just "trying to."

I'm still here 'cause there's a system or two

- I haven't hacked yet. - What?

Nothing, Cadet Master.

Mir, have you considered that

Nus Braka was lying to mess with your head?

Should I trust you to stay?

Should I trust you to do what you said you were gonna do?

Yeah.

Am I dismissed?

He needs his ass kicked.

He's been getting his ass kicked his whole life.

I think I'm gonna treat him like somebody

who actually does what they say they're gonna do

and see if that fritzes his motherboard.

The Betazoids are bringing their Youth Delegation.

They're the ones that pressured

their government to enter negotiations with us.

Ooh.

Activism. Love it.

Specialist Krebs, return to Science Lab 7.

Your Talaxian Furfly has come out of hibernation.

Oh, Nahla.

Commander Kelrec, your counterpart

- at the War College. - Pleasure, Commander.

Oh, uh, regulation footwear is a requirement.

Yeah, I heard that.

I-I-I just don't like wearing them if I don't have to.

In all seriousness, it's unsafe. You could...

Stub my toe? Get a splinter? I signed the waivers.

Bare feet pick up electrons

that reduce inflammation,

up white blood cells and cytokines,

and stimulate brain activity.

Plus, sometimes, I just need to let the little piggies out

to pasture, know what I mean?

I can confidently say I do not.

I've been informed you've

asked to host the Betazoid negotiations

so you can bring children.

Clearly, I've, uh, misheard.

Ah, but you did not.

It's an opportunity

to teach our cadets conflict resolution firsthand,

and for them to learn from their Betazed peers

that advocating for social change matters.

How romantic.

Your cynicism's pretty adorable.

If you want to talk about the good old days,

I have more of them than you.

We had to abandon Betazed after the Burn.

- They went through hell with the Venari Ral. - Uh...

With marauders.

So, they put up

that psionic wall around their

planetary system and stayed behind it

for over a hundred years.

Nobody gets in or out.

We can't even communicate behind that wall.

And then other systems joined this big swath of cut-off space,

but now their kids are saying, "Let's rejoin the Federation,"

because they don't want to live like that anymore.

Emrin Sadal is humoring them.

He's an isolationist who campaigned his presidency

on keeping that wall up.

He's also a Betazoid,

an empath who can read our feelings, Cranky.

Is his preemptive dismissal wise?

MAN (over P.A.): Admiral Vance,

priority transmission from FHQ.

Walk with me.

Should Betazed rejoin,

20, 30 other worlds rejoin with them.

And hundreds of new species

loyal to the Federation to help us defend it.

Not to mention an extra 90 light-years

of safe trade and passage in a time

when we're still rebuilding.

I don't dispute how much we need the Betazoids back.

This is our one slim chance

to bolster our standing in the galaxy in a real way.

Great, so what's the problem?

These negotiations are far too important

to allow children to attend.

Children are our ambassadors to now, Commander.

These children have seen and experienced things

far beyond their years.

Okay. Come.

Let's game it out.

If Sadal goes back to his planet

and says, "I tried, but they couldn't meet our needs,"

then he'll serve out his ten-year term,

and it'll take that long before we ever get another chance.

But if he does value young voices,

a young demographic,

we need to let him know that we do, too. Let's do it.

Friends? In front of the Betazoids,

we're one big happy family, yeah?

The shortest distance

between two points is not a straight line.

The laws of physics hate me

because I should not be here.

You, Girl With the Face Begging to Be Singled Out,

why do physics hate me?

Because you're not supposed to be here.

Thumbs up for listening.

- Entropy, time's arrow. -Hey,

you're absorbing all the energy in the room.

For real, you're like a sponge.

- Can you chill? -Guys, I was born in 2215

and jumped almost a thousand years into the future.

You can go with the poetry for five minutes.

Whoop, red alert. New building,

still working out the kinks.

Just give me a second here.

ATHENA COMPUTER Goja V is not a recognized location.

Goja V is not a recognized location.

Hi. What's on Goja V? You bored?

Class not riveting enough for you?

Not bored, just like...

what else?

Excellent question.

I guess Goja V is...

sexier than entropy?

More of a turn-on than time itself?

Enlighten us. Please.

I can save everyone's time by rerouting the power junction

so that it has a dedicated power supply,

which is how it should've been wired in the first place. Also,

not to be rude,

but there's nothing you can teach me

that I don't already know about temporal mechanics,

and I'm actually trying to do some real shit,

so let me get to it.

Huh. "Some real shit"? Okay.

Well, please, stand at the front of the class.

Are you kidding?

Zero percent, Cadet.

Introduce yourself to everyone.

And, sadly,

we don't offer a course in accredited sulking.

Plant your feet and tell us who you are.

Caleb Mir.

Sorry, I'm-I'm not a bat.

You have to speak at a human volume.

Caleb Mir.

I didn't ask your name.

I asked who you are.

What do you stand for?

Have you ever seen a ghost?

Made a mixtape?

What is the worst birthday present you ever got?

- Arrested. - Awesome.

Can never have enough misdemeanors

in quantum physics, if you ask me.

Okay, here's an easy one,

the name of this cadet?

Being a cadet in Starfleet Academy means

being open to the people around you,

and that connection is where time and space

- really live. - I don't need connection.

Yeah, yeah. You're a genius who owns all the suffering.

I only know two things, kid.

Number one: "Old age and treachery

always triumph over youth and a smart mouth."

Oscar Wilde. Love that dude.

Fun fact, when he died,

they had to put glass over his tombstone

because people kept trying to make out with it.

- Whoa. - Number two: A smart mouth

isn't worth a damn without wisdom.

But what do I know?

I'm old and boring.

Attention, all cadets.

Third instruction period will begin in eight minutes.

You have seven minutes to get your next caffeine fix.

-Oh! - I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. Sorry.

ATHENA COMPUTER: Biohazardous material detected.

Mucus neutralized.

Have a nice day.

I love this school.

No, I'm out of here.

I'm out of here. I'm done.

HOLO-GUIDE: Cadet Mir, you're outside

your permitted bounds.

Negotiations begin in eight minutes.

Quick, list every coffee order ever ordered.

- Drip. Organic espresso. - In every caffeinated planet.

- Organically farmed single-origin drip. - Faster.

- In every quadrant. - Espresso. Semi-whipped...

While singing the Fibonacci sequence.

Backwards from 10,946.

Americano with coconut water. Americano with coconut milk.

Where are you going?

Why are you climbing the fence?

Fence-onomics... class.

- Yeah, that's not a thing. -Well, could be.

There's a lot of classes here.

Why is your jacket covered in...

snot?

Because I'm clearly thriving.

Hey, um, did you...

did you kill it?

Overloaded its processing buffers.

Please don't tell anyone.

You're trying to leave.

But you're not sure.

You're kind of... regretting it?

You think you're being

a big, stupid idiot.

Wow.

That's a lot of conflict.

Nope.

No conflict.

You're literally on the fence.

Great.

I escaped into therapy.

Can I just have a meltdown in peace?

I should go.

Hey. Wait, what's your name?

Where are you going?

Uh, I think I asked you that first.

What do you mean you asked me first? Whoa!

Guys, what the hell?

Why are you out of bounds, Caleb Mir?

I'm with my friend. Look, she's walking away. Look. Look.

Look, there's a Borg! Look!

Please rise to welcome President Emrin Sadal

and the Betazed Youth Delegation

to Starfleet Academy.

Shut up.

Mr. President, welcome.

Everyone, please sit.

Friends, welcome.

On behalf of the Federation, we, uh,

are humbly aware that we failed you

in the aftermath of the Burn.

Our resources were stretched very thin.

We have deep admiration for how you kept

your planetary system whole.

Now, the Federation is not whole without Betazed.

Betazed appreciates

the Federation's accurate assessment of its failures.

As I read your lips, Admiral,

your eyes are already making the next request.

You are about to ask us to lower our wall.

I am.

And in return,

we offer our partnership and our protection.

Protection for Betazed

would require 12 battle-ready starships

to remain within five light-years of our planet

at all times,

six seats on the Federation security council,

and the power to veto

any potential new Federation member without consensus.

The Federation is a democracy, Mr. President.

Veto without consensus

strips us of our core identity.

Your identity isn't our concern, Admiral.

Easy, easy.

What is this, prison?

Mr. President, you've brought your Youth Delegation,

your future,

out from behind the wall, for the first time,

as I understand.

Our future sits here for the first time

in a hundred years.

Progress is the acceptance of identity,

not the negation of it.

- Ow. - Hmm.

That is an abstraction.

Until someone makes it real.

For Betazed,

real is the spilt blood of our elders and children

at the hands of the Venari Ral.

If you can't provide us with what we need,

this will be a very short negotiation.

President Sadal, we view your passion as a great gift.

Please allow me a short window to discuss with the Federation

the terms you've proposed.

Shall we regroup after a short hiatus?

Nothing like a good

plenary session to make you hungry.

Refreshments in the Kirk Pavilion

during the hiatus.

Admiral.

My daughter and son would enjoy

a tour of your campuses while we pause.

Mr. President, we're happy to find suitable guides.

Examples of the excellence we strive for in our cadets.

Him.

Him.

Uh?

50 hours off my menial labor.

No.

60. And this couch is ugly.

You should give it to me for my room.

It's a chaise.

Hmm.

Off, knucklehead. Ten.

Mm, I'll think about it.

And I'll need you to fire the temporal mechanics teacher.

That's not an apple.

- It's a Virulian fire-fruit. - Why?

I burned off whatever nerve endings I had,

like, 300 years ago.

This isn't a game.

Tarima Sadal is a leader

in the very influential Betazoid youth movement.

She needs to come back with a genuine understanding

of what this place is.

Not what you think it is.

- So don't show her the busted replicator? - Huh?

My soup was freezing.

Gazpacho.

- It's served like that. - Oh.

Well, I serve like this.

I'll do it...

...if you give me access to the Stellar Cartography lab.

One hour.

No illegal hacking.

And if I don't find Goja V,

I'll...

trust you to do the looking.

Dismissed.

You... you...

can't dismiss yourself.

But I did, though.

Caleb, people will live and die

because of what happens today.

Cool.

Love it here.

♪ My blue heaven ♪

♪ My blue ♪

♪ Heaven. ♪

Attention, all cadets in the Turner Wing.

If you need an afternoon pick-me-up,

visit the newly reopened Replicafé

for a complimentary espresso drink.

We're also thrilled to announce that we now serve Raktajino.

Qapla'!

So... this is the...

- Turner Wing. - Hmm.

- Yeah. - Turner.

Uh, yeah. Uh-huh.

Turner must've been flush.

This wing is shiny.

Yeah, at heart, though, he was a grunt.

-Oh. -Oh, yeah, a man of the people.

-Oh. -Meat and potatoes.

Tough if you got out of line, but...

But, on a battlefield,

he's the one you want covering your back.

- Actually, he was a disaster on the battlefield. - Okay.

No sense of direction.

High-fived all his superior officers.

I heard he put pips on his dog and left him in charge once.

- No, he did. - Yeah, I heard that, too.

And that he, uh, made everybody learn Welsh,

and he didn't even speak Welsh, so, you know...

...he couldn't understand anybody.

I guess he just felt so inadequate

that his parents decided to donate a space station

- just so he could get a hall. - Yeah.

So you've never been anywhere outside of Betazed's wall?

-Uh, no. Never. -Why?

A lot of us don't want to live behind it anymore.

- Oh. - But, at the same time,

it's my home.

Thanks.

My people, you know?

Uh, yeah. Yeah.

Why were you trying to leave?

Uh...

You never told me what you were doing when you found me.

Humpback whales.

I heard they were migrating,

but they were a no-show.

Sometimes, it's just good to see something really big.

Like, you know, a live thing that's big,

that just doesn't really care about you.

I mean... lets you remember that,

whatever you're worried about, you just

- do not matter to this whale. - Mm-hmm.

It's freeing, you know?

Yeah.

Like, no one ever goes, "Oh, that whale's lost."

They got the whole ocean to swim in.

Are you a whale

or a thing that gets lost in this scenario?

Uh...

Let you know when I figure it out.

- This is why I picked you. - Why?

You're the only person here not excreting Starfleet pride

out of every orifice.

I want to thank you for the compliment,

but I also want to ask you to never say "excreting"

and "orifice" to me again.

Okay, look, this is gonna be embarrassing for you,

but I think you have something on your tooth.

Wait, what? Oh, my God, what is it?

- I don't know. - Is it a piece of food?

- It's not a piece of food. - A piece of gum?

- It's not a piece of gum. - A... gem...

...representing the sacred eye of Naxia

ritually bestowed upon the first daughter

of the first house when she reaches Moonflow

and becomes Guardian of the Holy Mantle of Betazed?

- Hmm? - Mm...

- I mean, I wouldn't know. - Yes.

See? Cultural exchange.

We're learning so much about each other.

- Listen. - Okay.

I got to do a thing.

Hmm. "Thing" sounds illegal.

I'm looking for a planet.

A planet I can't access.

No one can access.

- Why? - Left my keys there.

All right, so this is our Stellar Cartography lab.

One of Turner's favorites.

Wow.

Computer, reduce safety filters.

Pull up Goja V and enhance.

ATHENA COMPUTER: Beginning scan of Federation maps.

Scanning...

Scanning...

Scanning...

Goja V, no such location found.

Hmm.

Someone was on that planet.

Someone you care about.

Can't hide anything from you, huh?

Let's make a deal.

You trust me,

let me behind the curtain a little.

I'll trust you.

Okay.

Oh, you mean, like, right now? The trust thing happens now?

ATHENA COMPUTER: Accessing Betazed governmental star charts.

What did you just do?

Try your scan now.

Computer.

Show me Goja V.

ATHENA COMPUTER: Goja V located.

Why isn't it in Starfleet's database?

It-it probably formed post-Burn behind our psionic barrier.

Goja V has something to do with why you're trying to escape.

Caleb, I need to understand this place.

Why does it feel like you're a prisoner here?

Why does it feel like you are, too?

There's a whole universe outside your wall.

Ask me about it.

I've seen things on my many travels.

What are you, like, an old prospector?

Okay, come on, you try to blow my mind, then.

Betazed has naked weddings.

That sounds awkward for everybody.

All cadets, negotiations will now resume

- in the Sato Atrium. - Shoot. We got to go.

We're prepared to offer you four starships,

three seats on the security council,

and meaningful input into new members.

Somewhere in the galaxy,

the Venari Ral just celebrated.

Last month, two massive raids attempted to breach the wall.

We could've been reduced to ash in moments.

Perhaps because Betazed is falling behind

all other planets in technological advancements?

Without external access, your technology will be

virtually obsolete within a decade.

Forget a decade.

Who knows when the next Burn hits?

You're asking me to take chances

on people I haven't even met yet.

I'm asking you to take a chance on them.

Let's retire for the night.

Well, that wasn't great.

I should go.

- I need to see my father. - Wait.

Uh...

You want to see a thing?

This one might cheer us both up.

I can't sleep in this place,

and so I wander around at night and...

...found this.

Lady Tarima of Betazed,

may I introduce you to the humpback whale of Earth.

She's pregnant.

The galaxy is paradise.

You get to live in it.

You can, too.

I have... responsibilities.

To your father?

To Betazed.

Thank you for this.

So much.

I kind of want to let it all out and scream.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

Tarima.

We've been looking everywhere for you.

Let everyone know we've located the president's daughter.

I expected friction here,

but not reckless disrespect.

I cannot apologize enough.

Let's go.

Okay, okay. Not great, I know.

I know what you're gonna say, but listen.

Goja V is real. It's behind the wall.

- I don't know how my mom got through, but... - This is not about you.

♪ Pa ♪

♪ Pa-pa ♪

♪ Pa ♪

♪ Pa-pa ♪

- ♪ Pa-pa, pa-pa ♪ - ♪ Pa-pa, pa-pa ♪

♪ Pa-pa-pa-pa, pa-pa-pa-pa ♪

♪ Pa-pa-pa-pa, pa-pa-pa-pa ♪

- ♪ Pa-pa-pa, pa-pa ♪ - ♪ Pa-pa-pa, pa-pa ♪

♪ Pa-pa-pa-pa-pa Papagena ♪

♪ Pa-pa-pa-pa-pa Papageno ♪

* Bist du mir nun ganz gegeben? ♪

♪ Nun bin ich dir ganz gegeben ♪

* Nun so sey mein liebes Weibchen! ♪

* Nun so sey mein Herzenstäubchen! ♪

♪ Mein Herzenstäubchen, mein Herzenstäubchen! ♪

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

♪ Welche Freude wird das seyn ♪

♪ Welche Freude wird das seyn... ♪

Am I an optimist or a masochist?

You haven't murdered the kid yet, so that's a step.

- Still time. - Hmm.

♪ Kinderlein, Kinderlein ♪

THE DOCTOR and DIVA: ♪ Kinderlein ♪

♪ Kinderlein ♪

♪ So liebe kleine Kinderlein ♪

♪ So liebe kleine... ♪

You are gone.

Uh-huh. Huh?

Ooh.

Hey! What?

- ♪ Papageno, Papageno ♪ - ♪ Papagena, Papagena ♪

- ♪ Papagena, Papagena ♪ - ♪ Papageno, Papageno... ♪

Mr. President, I trust your daughter's visit

to the War College went well today?

It was certainly less eventful

than last night.

You've made a commendable start here, Admiral.

Despite our differences,

I don't envy the task ahead of you.

Thank you.

Many people, many opinions.

Speaking of which,

we're about to break ground on our new seat of government

in its old home of Paris.

Ah, "The more things stay the same."

Would you agree progress is impossible without change?

I believe that most people who say they want progress

don't really want to change.

Which often makes both impossible.

Touché.

I'll say it: that dude's judgy as hell

and I don't care if he can sense that I think that.

Hmm, one-on-one. Their best, our best.

To the death.

It's just quicker sometimes.

- What is wrong with you? - Ick.

Seriously, what is wrong with you?

Bye. See you soon.

- Can I talk to you for a sec? - Yeah, what's wrong?

People keep telling me to "chill" and that I'm "a lot"

and that I give "unpaid dating coach energy,"

and I don't think it's a compliment.

Maybe I don't fit here.

I woke up at 4:00 a.m.

to run while memorizing the Vulcan alphabet backwards.

We fit here.

And how are we this evening, ladies?

To be honest, I'm actually a bit depressed...

-No, let's go. -Okay. Bye.

Chancellor Ake, I question why

you cling so fiercely to the idea of returning

the Federation to what it was, given your history.

I'm told you yourself left 15 years ago?

If Starfleet was willing

to acknowledge a mistake and correct it,

then Starfleet is a living thing,

capable of growth and change.

I believe in its future.

As a Betazoid, I would hope that you would sense

our good intentions and share that empathy.

I see why the admiral values you so highly.

That said, while empathy enables me

to understand and feel quite keenly

your love for Starfleet...

Excuse me.

- See you later. - Mm, mm, mm.

Be right back.

Hey, little sister.

Off to see chaos boy?

You think he's chaos boy?

I think he's... surprise boy. Surprise boy is good.

He smiles a lot.

Smiles a lot at you.

He feels safe with you.

Go get him. Go get him.

Shut up.

♪ Pa-pa-pa-pa-pa Papagena ♪

♪ Pa-pa-pa-pa-pa Papageno. ♪

Hmm?

And how was the most disciplined day of your life,

touring the War College?

I think my dad's actually starting to warm to this place.

There are upsides to discipline.

Yeah, says the one who had to scream.

I'm sorry if I got you in trouble.

Sorry if I got you in trouble.

Can I ask you a question?

What is that?

On your neck?

Uh...

It's a neuro-inhibitor.

It cuts off any spike of psilosynine.

It's the chemical that gives us our empathic abilities.

You're the only one who has one?

I feel things...

more than other Betazoids.

Hmm.

Normal's boring anyway.

If I lose control, I can hurt people.

Hmm.

Doesn't scare me.

Your turn.

Why is it so hard for you to just...

be honest and direct?

'Cause I spent a lot of time...

just surviving.

And now there are all these rules.

My whole life's been rules.

Helps me feel safe.

My mom made me feel that way.

She got taken away.

She's why I'm looking for Goja V.

She might be there,

and I haven't seen her since I was six,

- so I really need... - Uh, wait.

Wait.

That's why you care about Betazed lowering its wall?

What? No.

Wh-- um, why didn't, why didn't you just tell me?

I mean, I didn't keep anything from you.

Because I didn't realize

that my traumatic childhood was part of the tour.

At least I was honest and up front.

Were you just using me this whole time?

When we were together,

I thought it was because you liked me,

- not because you were trying to manipulate me. - It was.

It was 'cause I liked you.

Why didn't you just tell me?

Because I knew you for five minutes.

I've been searching for her for 15 years.

I slept in dumpsters.

Almost froze and got the shit kicked out of me

more times than I can count.

I'm sorry, I didn't know, I didn't...

No.

You know what?

Go back to your guards and your valets

and all the things that keep you safe

- in your safe little box. - Okay.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Chancellor Ake,

why did you leave Starfleet?

Was the Federation no longer up to your standards?

The Federation allowed me to question standards.

Question or lower them?

By allowing a criminal into your academy.

You're referring to Cadet Mir. Oh, thank you so much.

Those allegations were never subject

to judicial review or due process

and occurred outside our jurisdiction,

so he's not a criminal here.

Yet.

Hmm.

Academy admission

traditionally includes a six-week preparatory program

followed by a rigorous entrance exam

and intense psychological scrutiny.

Was Mir exempt from these?

He passed the exam in the 98th percentile

while sitting in the back of a shuttle.

The traditional paths to Starfleet disappeared

for many of these kids, sir.

The ones who got here found their own way.

I... I find that admirable.

On Betazed, we maintain

stringent boundaries around our children.

Why are you willing to risk so much

for a single cadet?

Because he's exceptional.

All the more so for living an unprotected life.

We won't exclude him for that. I certainly won't.

I lived in the Janaran Sanctuary

and swam in the Opal Sea.

Betazed was paradise.

Some of the bravest, kindest people I've ever met.

It seems to me, sir,

that you're allowing your walls to define you now.

It's one thing

for you to tell me who my ancestors were,

another to demand we look past all that has happened

and expect us not to have changed.

We came here hoping for actions but received only empty words.

The negotiations are over.

We will leave in the morning.

Yeah.

He came to say no.

Yeah?

Um... hi?

It smells really bad in here.

Yeah, Darem. Uh, suffers from gland blockage.

I see you still haven't made your bed.

Never had a bed before.

You want me to apologize again?

Caleb, I'd been searching for you a long time.

And then I found you.

I really needed that little kid to be okay.

But you're not him anymore.

And I have to let him go.

If you leave and the Torothans find you,

because you stole from them,

I can't help.

So...

I won't wall you in.

But if you stay...

...maybe we could build something...

different.

But I don't know what.

You know,

when your mom was at the rehabilitation camp,

she spent all her time studying physics.

They say she had a remarkable mind.

Guess you come by it honestly.

Imagine if she'd gone to school.

Anyway.

You know, in physics...

...there's always something you can build.

Oh.

You're a genius.

Attention, cadets,

the Betazoid delegation

is preparing for immediate departure.

- To accommodate, we will... - Excuse me!

Coming through! Behind!

- Tarima! -Caleb?

Can I talk to you for a minute?

Quickly.

I'm sorry.

I'm so sorry.

The Federation...

they're the villain of my story, too.

They took my mom.

I should've told you, 'cause then we could've had

a real conversation, and instead,

I got scared you'd tell your dad to walk,

and I'd never get to find her behind your wall.

We could've bonded

over our mutual terror of trusting people.

I screwed it up.

What do you want, Caleb?

Forget about what I want.

I saw you with that whale.

You want a bigger world.

You looked around this place,

and everything that you were seeing

and hearing was beautiful, right?

So please,

get your dad to go back to the table one more time.

At least then you can go home

knowing you gave your people every last chance.

If you won't do it for you, for the love of God...

...do it for Turner.

Last night, Mr. President,

we discussed tradition, and I...

fancied myself a bit of a renegade.

Which is not as true as I would like.

I'm more of a traditionalist than I was willing to admit.

And it blinded me from seeing what can be.

What if by reexamining the past,

we become something entirely new?

Should Betazed rejoin,

the Federation will build its new seat of government

not in Paris, where it once stood...

...but on Betazed.

You suggested that actions speak louder than words.

Should Betazed lower her walls, we will be there,

with equal investment in building

and protecting a future we both desperately need.

Yes.

Starfleet intelligence reached Goja V an hour ago.

It's a place where people might want to disappear.

No central authority.

Gangs, mostly. It's pretty rough.

But we found an encrypted flight manifest

with your mom's name on it.

Headed to the Romov Sector, three months ago.

Anisha made it off Goja V.

She's out there somewhere.

I've given you access

to all the comms channels I can access.

If she's sending messages, it'll be on there somewhere.

So this is a guilt Band-Aid?

Does it matter?

Dismissed.

Hey, kid.

Well, it's been another great day

at Starfleet Academy.

Reminder to all cadets

that curfew is at 2200 hours.

If you're planning on breaking that, do not.

Sleep well. And see you tomorrow, fellow travelers.

Push! Huzzah!

I go here now, roomie!

- Huzzah! Come on! - Whoo!

I'm your third, baby!

We're roommates, bro. Starfleet for life!

My dad let me stay.

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

Is Tarima here, too?

Nah. She chose the War College, bruh.

What? Why?

I don't talk to dudes about my sister, man.

Creepy. She asked me to give you this, actually.

Caleb.

Cay, Cale, Cal? Beeble?

- Stop. Stop. -Beeble!

- I love you, bro, I was just playing. - Don't touch me.

Okay, we'll get there.

Straight back in, come on.

Yeah. You know what? That trophy's pretty tight.

Fought a guy with three legs for that back on Khionia.

Did he have any hands?

Yeah, he did have hands.

- Two big meaty hands. -Oof!

That's what I'm talking about.

All right. I think I'm gonna take

more of a minimalist approach to my space.

Yeah, is that some kind of hack for better focus?

No, it's more that everything I touch, I break.

Just obliterate.

What about that one?

My bad.

It was my grandmother's-- was very rare-- but it's okay.

It's kind of wild that you got to see what I'm talking about

in real time. It happened, like...

It's okay.

You know, man, all my trophies are mental.

You know, I award them to myself.

Like, "Good job, Ocam,

you got the wake-up-on-time award today."

Or, "Congrats, Ocam, you ate a nutritious meal."

- What are you doing? - What are you doing?

Tuck and fold. Okay? Tuck and fold. Underneath.

It's self-love.

It's my version of, like, self-love.

Here.

Tuck, fold.

- Bros making bros' beds. - You want that line straight.

Love to see it!

Let's make a fort, guys!

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